Akron Sail & Power Squadron (ASPS) conducts the “PILOTING” course starting 7:00PM, January 23 (Tuesday) at Cuyahoga Falls High School. The classes run from 7 to 9PM each Tuesday evening for 10 weeks through April 10, 2018. The class is open to the public. Novice and experienced boaters alike will learn the latest techniques for navigating recreational boats in coastal and inland waters.

Piloting is the first course in the sequence of USPS courses on navigation, covering the basics of coastal and inland navigation. This course focuses on navigation as it is done on recreational boats today and embraces GPS as a primary navigation tool while covering enough of traditional techniques so the student will be able to find his/her way even if their GPS fails. The course includes many in-class exercises, developing the student’s skills through hands-on practice and learning. Topics covered include:

* Charts and their interpretation
* Navigation aids and how they point to safe water
* Plotting courses and determining direction and distance
* The mariner’s compass and converting between True and Magnetic
* Use of GPS – typical GPS displays and information they provide, setting up waypoints and routes, staying on a GPS route.
* Pre-planning safe courses and entering them into the GPS
Learn more about this course and the Akron Sail & Power Squadron atwww.akronpowersquadron.com.

The course fee for non-ASPS members is $155, of which $65 can be applied to membership. The fee includes a 116 page United States Power Squadron (USPS) “Piloting” student manual, the 275 page book, “The Weekend Navigator” and the USPS University Guide, “Plotting & Labeling Standards (20 pages). Also included is a 4” x 15” course plotter and a set of basic dividers.

For more information, contact Don Gifford, [email protected], (330) 929-6045